Game Reviews: World of Tanks: Imperial Steel Update

By Joseph Luster & James Hart

World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition continues to roll out updates of its own, and one of the recent additions introduced a bunch of new Japanese vehicles along with a brand new map. There were already more than 100 tanks to choose from after its initial release on the 360, but Wargaming promised that a series of DLC updates would quickly expand their lineup. So far, they’ve delivered. Back in March, we took at look at the Iron Brotherhood expansion, which deployed a new line of Soviet heavy tanks for the 360. The T-150, KV-3, KV-4, ST-I and IS-4 all enjoyed thick armor upgrades that made them ideal for soaking up damage on the battlefield. There was also a new map, South Coast, whose tranquil setting belied its many sneaky strategic opportunities.

The highly anticipated Imperial Steel update finally allows console players to make their way through the Japanese Tech Tree with their fresh arsenal of vehicles, and they can do so on a map called Sacred Valley. This most recent update also introduces 13 new tanks, including light tanks R. Otsu, Ha-Go, Ke-Ni, and Ke-Ho; as well as medium tanks Chi-Ni, STA-1, Type 61 Chi-Ri, and more. The Japanese Tech Tree will start out fielding the previously mentioned four light tanks in addition to a total of nine medium tanks. Some of these new mediums are “a real blast,” according to the dev team, who claim that the Chi-Nu in particular will be “sporting an impressive rate of fire when compared to its peers.” That’s not all in terms of 2015 updates, either; later this year, Wargaming.net expects that World of Tanks will be ready for the jump to XBOX One.